Why the Coronavirus Has Been So Successful
We've known about SARS-CoV-2 for only three months, but scientists can make some educated guesses about where it came from and why it's behaving in such an extreme way.
Helmholtz Calls for More Attractive Widening Programme in Framework Programme 10
Helmholtz Calls for More Attractive Widening Programme in Framework Programme 10
The EU's next framework research programme should continue funding projects aimed at bridging Europe's research and innovation gap, Germany's largest research organisation said in a paper highlighting their priorities for the successor of Horizon Europe.
Where Do Our Graduates Go? A Toolkit for Retrospective and Ongoing Career Outcomes Data Collection for Biomedical PhD Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
Where Do Our Graduates Go? A Toolkit for Retrospective and Ongoing Career Outcomes Data Collection for Biomedical PhD Students and Postdoctoral Scholars
Universities are at long last undertaking efforts to collect and disseminate information about student career outcomes, after decades of calls to action. Organizations such as Rescuing Biomedical Research and Future of Research brought this issue to the forefront of graduate education, and the second Future of Biomedical Graduate and Postdoctoral Training conference (FOBGAPT2) featured the collection of career outcomes data in its final recommendations, published in this journal (Hitchcock et al., 2017). More recently, 26 institutions assembled as the Coalition for Next Generation Life Science, committing to ongoing collection and dissemination of career data for both graduate and postdoc alumni. A few individual institutions have shared snapshots of the data in peer-reviewed publications (Mathur et al., 2018; Silva, des Jarlais, Lindstaedt, Rotman, Watkins, 2016) and on websites. As more and more institutions take up this call to action, they will now be looking for tools, protocols, and best practices for ongoing career outcomes data collection, management, and dissemination. Here, we describe UCSF's experiences in conducting a retrospective study, and in institutionalizing a methodology for annual data collection and dissemination. We describe and share all tools we have developed, and we provide calculations of the time and resources required to accomplish both retrospective studies and annual updates. We also include broader recommendations for implementation at your own institutions, increasing the feasibility of this endeavor.
Why research for the pure sake of knowing is good enough
Duke University biologist Sheila Patek has faced criticism from lawmakers over her research into mantis shrimp and trap-jaw ants, with some calling her government-funded studies a waste of taxpayer money. But according to Patek, not only do her findings have important practical applications, but scientific inquiry is most fruitful when knowledge is sought for its own sake, not to justify budgets.
Switzerland Was Sent into Scientific Exile. No Deal Could Mean the Same for Britain
Switzerland Was Sent into Scientific Exile. No Deal Could Mean the Same for Britain
EU-backed research projects were slashed after Switzerland voted to curb immigration. The UK should take note.
More Than a Billion Seashore Animals May Have Cooked to Death in B.C. Heat Wave, Says UBC Researcher
More Than a Billion Seashore Animals May Have Cooked to Death in B.C. Heat Wave, Says UBC Researcher
A marine biologist at the University of British Columbia estimates that last week's record-breaking heat wave in B.C. may have killed more than one billion intertidal animals living along the Salish Sea coastline.
How Does Scientific Research Generate Impact Beyond Academia? Cross-disciplinary Comparison Based on REF Impact Cases
How Does Scientific Research Generate Impact Beyond Academia? Cross-disciplinary Comparison Based on REF Impact Cases
The impact of scientific research beyond academia is receiving increasing attention from scientists, science policy, and society in general. However, the mechanisms driving this impact remain unclear.
This is Why I've Written 500 Biographies of Female Scientists on Wikipedia
This is Why I've Written 500 Biographies of Female Scientists on Wikipedia
From bias in peer review and unfair allocation of grant funding to sexual harassment and a gender pay gap, the scientific community certainly has a lot of work to do.
Race on Campus: Why Faculty Diversity Remains Largely a Zero-Sum Game
Race on Campus: Why Faculty Diversity Remains Largely a Zero-Sum Game
Without more people of color pursuing doctoral degrees, the talent pool will stay predominantly white.
Why China is Turning to Sci-tech in New Action Plan to Boost Belt and Road
China's president unveils a vision for the infrastructure strategy that could help other countries overcome Western restrictions. The Action plan includes harnessing markets and talent of participating countries to power scientific and technological advancement.
Why It's Impossible for Public Policy to Rely Entirely on Science
Why It's Impossible for Public Policy to Rely Entirely on Science
The only way an Alberta COVID-19 committee can meaningfully determine how public policy should be made is if it tackles head-on the question of how to measure the psychological impacts of policy.
Why an Overreliance on AI-driven Modelling is Bad for Science
Without clear protocols to catch errors, artificial intelligence's growing role in science could do more harm than good.
Seven Things Every Researcher Should Know About Scholarly Publishing
After many and long conversations among colleagues within and beyond the Scholarly Kitchen about what researchers need to know about scholarly publishing.
How simple ideas lead to scientific discoveries
In a 7 mins talk, Adam Savage walks through two examples of profound scientific discoveries that came from simple methods anyone could have followed: the calculation of the Earth's circumference around 200 BC and the measurement of the speed of light in 1849.
A Lack of Scientific Diplomacy Leaves Canada at a Disadvantage on the World Stage
A Lack of Scientific Diplomacy Leaves Canada at a Disadvantage on the World Stage
Global Affairs Canada could help the country enhance its soft power by embedding scientific collaboration in existing cultural diplomacy.
Researchers Must be Translators and Champions of Evidence
If you’re not willing to communicate your research, you shouldn’t be doing it, says Anne Glover.
Why Snakes Probably Aren't Spreading the New China Virus
One genetic analysis suggests reptilian reservoir - but researchers doubt that the coronavirus could have originated in animals other than birds or mammals.
Replicating Scientific Results is Tough - but Essential
A high-profile replication study in cancer biology has obtained disappointing results. Scientists must redouble their efforts to find out why.
Should Europe Build Its Own Social Media?
Almost all the social media platforms Europeans use are American. Should Europe have its own social media?
Recommendation on Access to and Preservation of Scientific Information
Recommendation on Access to and Preservation of Scientific Information
Commission Recommendation of 25 April 2018 on access to and preservation of scientific information.
Research Culture: The SAFE Labs Handbook As a Tool for Improving Lab Culture
A survey of more than 200 researchers shows strong support for a new community-driven lab handbook that can be implemented by individual group leaders to reduce conflict and create more positive and equitable work environments.
The culture of scientific research
The findings of a series of surveys exploring the culture of scientific research in the UK. It also contains a list of recommendations for funding bodies.
Our Societies, Journals, and the Narrative of Accessibility and Equity in Open Research
Our Societies, Journals, and the Narrative of Accessibility and Equity in Open Research
What can research societies do to improve accessibility and equity in Open Research? Haseeb Irfanullah suggests ways we can transform our outlook and efforts.
New mechanism for scientific advice
President Juncker welcomes world-leading scientists, discusses role of science in competitiveness and announces new mechanism for scientific advice.
EU Grants 14 Million to Swiss Researchers
An ERC Grant is the most prestigious award for excellent European research projects. A team with three researchers from the ETH Domain had also applied for such a grant. Today, Gabriel Aeppli from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Henrik Rønnow from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL and Nicola Spaldin from ETH Zurich, together with their colleague Alexander Balatsky from Nordita, Stockholm University, received the contract signed by the EU confirming the extraordinary 14 million euro funding.
More Carrot, Less Stick: How to Make Research Assessments Fairer
Research-assessment exercises are often misused to judge researchers or cut their funding - changes to the United Kingdom's scheme are a promising start.
Investing in vaccination more than paid off for U.S., study finds
Investing in vaccination more than paid off for U.S., study finds
Nation prevented far more in medical spending and lost productivity than it spent on testing, buying & delivering the 2021 vaccines.
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